Former Mashpee Wampanoag Chair Accused of Bribery, Extortion to Stand Trial

Cedric Cromwell, the former chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe inwards Massachusetts, testament begin facing felonious allegations of bribery and extortion inward federal court of law on April 19.

In November 2020, Oliver Cromwell was accused past federal prosecutors of accepting bribes inward change for approbative nearly $5 one thousand thousand inward architectural contracts. Oliver Cromwell then allegedly abused his power as tribal chairman past accepting almost $60,000 inwards immediate payment and other benefits from co-defendant Jacques Louis David DeQuattro, according to the federal indictment.

“Mr. Ironsides violated the combine he owed the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe past committing extortion, accepting bribes, and otherwise abusing his position,” said United States Attorney Saint Andrew Lelling.

Many American Indians human face a legion of difficult financial and social issues. They require — and deserve — existent leadership. But it appears that Cromwell’s priority was not to attend to his people, but to railway line his possess pockets,” Lelling added.

DeQuattro is accused of providing Ironsides with the payments and perks inwards purchase order for his unshakable — RGB Architects — to win the Mashpee Wampanoag designing contracts for the tribe’s long-planned $1 billion casino resort. The felon acts allegedly occurred betwixt 2014 through 2017.

Cromwell and his attorney Tim Flaherty will lead off making his defending team on April 19 in the US District Court in Boston. The showcase has been continually delayed by COVID-19.

If convicted, Oliver Cromwell faces upwards to trey years in federal prison, ace yr of supervised release, and a $100,000 fine.

Casino Controversy

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe has spent a decennium trying to secure its future tense economic successfulness with a casino resort inwards Taunton. But the US Interior Department has complicated the tribe’s federal gaming rights regarding its 321 acres of ground inwards Taunton and Mashpee that it acquired inwards 2012.

The Interior Department below the Obama governance in agreement(p) to take the earth into federal trust, therefore glade the way for the tribe and its financier and developing partner Genting Group to go forward with the First Light Resort & Casino. But below the Trump administration, the Interior Department said it antecedently erred in taking the land into swear and removed the land area from the federal official Register.

Last December, the Interior Department over again reversed its possess position, and ruled under the Biden judicature that the set down is indeed sovereign territory. The 2021 ruling, Interior officials say, is final.

The Mashpee people draw their origins to the for the first time Thanksgiving, as the federation of tribes the Pilgrims encountered quartet centuries ago.

Cromwell Denies Allegations

Cromwell and DeQuattro defend that they did non conjure to mutually do good turned the tribe’s gambling casino ambitions. Cromwell claims the money and gifts, including a Bowflex Revolution home gym and a weekend inward an executive director suite at the Seaport Hub of the Universe Hotel — both paid for by RGB Architects — were non bribes.

If federal prosecutors are capable to successfully puddle their cases and show outlaw misconduct, it wouldn’t follow the first clip a former Mashpee Wampanoag chair was found shamed on felonious charges.

Cromwell’s predecessor, John Glenn Marshall, was found guilty inward 2009 of embezzling $400,000 from the tribe. He was sentenced to iii years in prison.